San Francisco Zoo keeps its full accreditation

The San Francisco Zoo was granted accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in its first routine inspection since the fatal tiger mauling Christmas Day 2007.

“It’s an every-5-years process and this year they went through it without any glitches,” said the association’s president, Jim Maddy.

The process for the accreditation included a detailed application and three-day on-site inspection by zoo and aquarium professionals who looked to see that everything — from animal care and educational programs to financial stability and safety — met ever-rising standards.

The zoo’s executive director, Tanya Peterson, said she is “incredibly proud” of the institution’s accomplishments in the past four years.

“The awarded AZA accreditation is a wonderful recognition that exemplifies the staff’s true passion for their work, the organization and the Bay Area communities,” she said.

Accreditation committee members interviewed the zoo’s top officials during a formal hearing in mid-March before deciding whether to grant, table or deny accreditation. Currently, the association has 224 accredited zoos and aquariums and reviews institutions on a rolling basis, about 25 every six months.

Institutions also are inspected if something happens in the interim.

Inspectors visited shortly after the tiger killed a 17-year-old visitor and the San Francisco Zoo faced criticism for a slow response and safety issues that included the grotto wall being 4 feet shorter than what national standards recommend.

Inspectors found that “a number of improvements were made and the committee at that time chose to maintain the accreditation,” said Steve Feldman, the association’s spokesman.

For those of you wondering where the zoo stood on the totem pole this year compared to scheduled inspections in the past, Maddy said the details are confidential. Here’s his best answer:

“It’s like taking a course pass/fail — you don’t get a grade. A pass says volumes about the quality. You can’t meet some or most of the standards, you have to meet all the standards across the board … Their accreditation is evidence that they met all the safety standards as well.”